Canadian data show that children and youth experience high degrees of violence in their lives. A significant degree of this violence occurs within the family, and can be attributed to excesive ‘correction’ or physical discipline. Indeed, section 43 of the Canadian Criminal Code permits the use of ‘reasonable’ force for the purposes of correction. This paper presents data on police response to allegations of excessive or illegal corporal punishment under current Canadian legislation. As the gatekeepers to the courts, the police act as the social, legal and moral guardians of the use of corporal punishment in Canada. The findings suggest that there is significant variation in police response both to the range and seriousness of incidents of corporal punishment. Much of this can be attributed to the normal exercise of police discretion. However, the breadth and lack of clarity in the law itself is an additional, problematic source of uncertainty and undermines attempts to reduce violence in the lives of children.
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